Thousands of demonstrators protested at a “Hands Off!” rally at the North Berkeley BART station on Saturday. Credit: Zac FarberDonald Trump’s first term as president was marked by immediate and fierce protests pushing back against his anti-immigrant policies and stated goal of overturning Roe v. Wade.
The beginning of Trump’s second term has seen less resistance — until now.
On Saturday, thousands of East Bay residents gathered in Oakland, Berkeley and other cities to rally in the “Hands Off!” protests.
More than 1,200 “Hands Off!” rallies were planned across the country, as well as internationally, to condemn Trump’s efforts — spearheaded by billionaire Elon Musk — to gut government agencies, lay off thousands of federal workers, and seek massive new tax cuts that could imperil health and social insurance programs millions of Americans rely on.
The rallies have pulled together a coalition of people also concerned about Trump’s cuts to federal funding for universities, steps to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion programs, attempts to punish schools and companies that maintain diversity efforts, as well as book bans. Many attendees denounced Trump’s mass deportation program — including in some cases legal residents and people targeted because of their First Amendment activities.
Berkeley resident Kat De Haas (left) and her mother-in-law Susan Roddy (right) protesting with De Haas’ 7-month-old daughter Sarah Lani (in stroller). Credit: Iris KwokHundreds of people showed up at North Berkeley BART around 1 p.m., lining up along the sidewalks with protest signs expressing opposition to a range of Trump policies and chanting “this is what democracy looks like.”
See more photos of the Berkeley protest
Later in the afternoon as more protesters arrived the crowd grew to several thousand and spread out onto Sacramento Street, which was closed to traffic between Virginia and University.
Terri White, 68, a realtor who lives in Richmond, said she was protesting because she feels a need to defend immigrants. “There’s just so much happening politically that shouldn’t be and the only way that we are going to fight it is our voices,” she said. White added that her son was a federal worker in southern California who was recently let go in the mass layoffs and her daughter is worried about losing her job at UC Berkeley.
Protesters gathered in Berkeley to speak out against the Trump administration’s policies on Sat. April 5, 2025. Credit: Zac FarberAnother protester, Odile, who is originally from France and used to work in caregiving for Alzheimer’s patients, said she’s concerned that voters won’t get a say in the next election. “I want to defend democracy and I think it’s not good if only one person is choosing for us.”
Several drummers and a tambourine played a soundtrack at the Berkeley rally and many attendees flew upside-down American flags, signs of distress. Others also waved the flags of Palestine and Ukraine.
Pete McElligott, who is retired and lives near El Cerrito, and who played a key role in establishing Berkeley’s tool lending library, said he’s been protesting since the Free Speech Movement in the 1960s.
McElligott said Trump makes him want to puke and he’s concerned about Republican’s plans for social security. He’s also concerned about his daughter, who has to pay back her student loans for nursing school.
Pete McElligott attended Berkeley’s “Hands Off!” protest on April 5, 2025. Credit: Iris KwokKat De Haas, from Berkeley, said she came to the protest because she’s concerned about free speech rights and immigration, and her 7-month-old daughter’s future. “I’m just here to ensure she has a future,” said De Haas. “What we’re doing right now to immigrants is horrifying to me. We’re locking up people for speaking out on Palestine.” She said she knows people who are afraid to speak out against the government because they could be deported.
Jeanne Pimentel, an 89-year-old Green Card holder originally from England, who has lived in Berkeley for the last 30 years and has many great-grandchildren, said she wants to see better leadership for America.
“In a way it doesn’t make that much of a difference to me what the world does because I’ve had most of my life,” Pimentel said. “But when I think of all those children growing up in this country and this world… we’ve got to change the minds of the people who are running it.”
Oakland protest also draws thousands
Protesters at Oakland’s “Hands Off!” rally against the Trump administration on April 5, 2025. Credit: Tracey TaylorSeveral thousand people were at the rally in Oakland when it began at 1 p.m. The crowd included people of all ages, including retirees, youth, lots of union members and civic groups like the League of Women Voters.
One protester, San Pablo resident Anna Villalobos, was a postal worker for 38 years in Oakland. She said she came to the rally because Trump has been going after the postal service and wants to privatize it. She wants to save her pension and social security and benefits for other retired federal employees.
“The postal service is not for profit, it’s for service,” she said.
Maret Bartlett, an Oakland resident, works part-time for the Peralta community colleges. She feels that Trump’s moves to dismantle the government and other policies are illegal. “I absolutely loathed the first trump term, but this is even worse,” Bartlett said. Several of her friends work for the federal government and some have been fired “willy nilly.”
California Environmental Voters was one of the groups that helped organize Saturday’s rally. Aaron McCall, the group’s federal advocacy coordinator, told The Oaklandside that the Trump administration’s plans for public lands will reduce access and harm sensitive ecosystems. “Trump wants to sell off our national monuments to oil companies who are going to make us poorer, sicker, and less safe,” he said.
Oakland mayoral candidate Barbara Lee spoke during the rally, recalling Trump’s first term, 2017 to 2020, when she was a member of Congress. “We have to come together to resist this because when we resist, we win,” she told the crowd.
Organizers of the Oakland rally said they planned to march to Oakland’s federal building to speak out against the Trump administration’s desires to open a new immigration detention facility at the now-shuttered federal women’s prison in Dublin.
Terri White said she’s concerned about Trump’s anti-immigrant policies. Credit: Iris Kwok Credit: Iris Kwok
Jeanne Pimentel attended Berkeley’s “Hands Off!” rally on Sat. April 5, 2025. Credit: Iris Kwok
Protesters gathered in Berkeley to speak out against the Trump administration’s policies. Credit: Iris KwokDarwin BondGraham contributed to this story.
"*" indicates required fields
English (United States) ·